Blockchain to record consent to surgery

Rational Surgical Solutions has partnered with blockchain start-up, Blockdrive, to incorporate blockchain technology to their Rati-Fi platform. The system aims to help healthcare providers use technology to improve patient care. More specifically, it seeks to minimize miscommunication between patient and doctor before surgery, while also improving efficiency, outcomes and revenues.

Informed consent is legalese for a process where doctors get permission from patients before conducting surgery or invasive procedures. Patients sign a document saying that they understand the risks. Only after this is confirmed can doctors proceed to treat them.

The founder and CEO of Rational Surgical Solutions Dr. Jonathan Fialkov is a urologist. He explained why he created the system: “Over 14 years working at a clinic, I saw the same situations arise particularly with patients not understanding all of the implications of surgery. “

Rati-fi provides educational videos to help patients to learn about procedures and then confirms that patients have understood the topic. If they haven’t then a physician can fill in any knowledge gaps.

Blockchain comes into play at the stage where a patient confirms their understanding and consents. The technology will allow the confirmation to be safely stored, making it very hard to tamper with or hack. Furthermore, in the case of corruption or power outage, backup data is available and can be accessed.

“I have been fascinated with the potential of Blockchain technology in healthcare information technology,” said Fialkov. “There is tremendous pressure on healthcare institutions of all sizes to improve security, reduce costs, and increase transaction performance, especially around patient data, all while providing an outstanding patient experience. Blockdrive’s Blockchain technology was the logical next addition to our Rati-Fi platform.”

Harry Curtin, CEO of Blockdrive, added: “Adding Blockchain capability to their Rati-Fi platform is one of the best use cases for this technology in the healthcare industry we have seen thus far.”